Out of this world: From total solar eclipse to stunning auroras, 15 best final frontier photos

A total solar eclipse, a full face of the moon, amazing auroras – all that and more left stargazers stunned over 2015. We take a look at the winners of this year’s astrophotography competition and their magnificent pictures of outer space.

Luc Jamet took this photo from the Sassendalen valley in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard on March 20.

“The total solar eclipse was one of the astronomical highlights of the year and Luc Jamet has captured it perfectly," Royal Observatory public astronomer Marek Kukula said in a statement announcing the winners of the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2015 competition.

"I love the way that the icy landscape of Svalbard reflects and intensifies the evocative colors of the sky — colors that only occur during the few minutes of totality, and which make any eclipse an unforgettable experience,” he added.

However, as he walked down the mountain, he saw the reflection of a stunning green aurora on the side of the mountain, and took the picture.

The M33 Core photo by Michael van Doom from the Netherlands depicts a galaxy ‘far, far away’: three million light years away from our planet. Moreover, it represents one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye.